RICHMOND, Va. — Three Democratic Virginia congressmen and a state lawmaker want a federal investigation into two companies hired by Republicans to conduct voter registration drives that have spawned voter fraud allegations in several states.

Reps. Gerald Connolly, James P. Moran Jr. and Bobby Scott recently asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to order the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the allegations, media outlets reported Wednesday. Separately, state Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico County, also wrote Holder calling for an inquiry.

A Pennsylvania man who worked for one company, Pinpoint, faces charges in Rockingham County of throwing eight completed voter registration forms in the trash.

In late September, the Republican National Committee fired the other company, Strategic Allied Consulting, after suspect forms it collected in Florida were turned over to local prosecutors. There also have been allegations against the company in Arizona and Colorado, the congressmen pointed out.

"The number of allegations in a multitude of locations would seem to suggest something more than the isolated acts of 'a few bad apples,'" their letter read.

A Justice Department spokesman said the agency is reviewing the letter.

In McEachin's appeal to Holder, he says a federal involvement was necessary because "the Republican controlled State Board of Elections has refused to ask for an investigation" into the allegations against Pinpoint, and that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli "claims he cannot investigate without a request from the State Board of Elections."

Cuccinelli said he can investigate only if the board asks him to, but that he would welcome legislation to grant his office independent authority to investigate such matters.

Colin Small of Phoenixville, Pa., was charged on Friday with 13 counts of disclosure of voter registration information, destruction of voter applications, and obstruction of justice. A store manager told police he saw Small dump eight completed registration forms in a bin outside his store Oct. 15 hours before the voter registration deadline of 5 p.m.

Donald Palmer, secretary of the Virginia State Board of Elections, said the board was cooperating with local investigators in that case. Palmer told the AP on Friday that the board was not asking for an investigation into the incident, but later said the board had not decided whether to do so. On Tuesday, Palmer said the local prosecutor has not indicated a need for assistance from the Attorney General's office.

The Harrisonburg episode came weeks after the state GOP canceled a $500,000 contract with Virginia-based Strategic Allied Consulting for voter registration after Florida election officials began questioning registration forms filed by one of its contract workers.

Strategic Allied Consulting said in a statement on its website that it has never tolerated "even minimal violations of election law when registering voters." The company fires any workers who do not follow the law, and it is cooperating with elections officials in Florida, it said.